Supporters of the "Coalition of Northern Groups" (CNG) rally to urge authorities to rescue hundreds of abducted schoolboys, in northwestern state of Katsina, Nigeria on December 17, 2020 - Boko Haram recruited three local gangs in northwest Nigeria to kidnap hundreds of schoolboys on its behalf, security and local sources said on December 16, 2020. The attack occurred hundreds of kilometres from Boko Haram's stronghold in northeast Nigeria, where it launched a brutal insurgency a decade ago. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)
Lai Mohammed, minister of information, has taunted those campaigning for the release of the secondary school students abducted in Katsina.
After the abduction of over 300 students at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina,#BringBackOurBoys trended on social media.
Protesters later took to the streets in different parts of the country.
In Abuja, Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led a #BringBackOurBoys protest.
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But addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mohammed said the Buhari administration moved speedily to rescue the captives.
“We hope those who have started trading and politicking with the hashtag ‘BringBackOurBoys’ can now go home, as our boys have been brought back, even before their dubious campaign could take off,” he said.
“The release of these school boys is a testament to the importance that this administration attaches to the security and safety of all Nigerians.
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“There is no government in the world that will not face the challenges of security at one time or another.
“No government in the world is immune to terrorist attacks. What stands any government out is the way and manner it responds to such challenges.”
Mohammed said the Buhari administration would do everything possible to prevent a recurrence of these abductions, adding that the government is working to ensure that the remaining students in Chibok, Borno state and Dapchi, Yobe state, are brought back home.
The minister expressed dismay that some Nigerians “denigrated” the government and country over the Kankara incident.
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“We also make bold to say that we have moved with speed and determination each time we have faced the challenge of school abductions, and the results attest to this,” he said.
“Each time this has happened, we have always accepted responsibility, rather than being in denial. And that has made all the difference in whether or not the abducted school children have been recovered.”
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